NCJ Number
87499
Date Published
1982
Length
114 pages
Annotation
The findings of a survey of a cross section sample of California adults relate to the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of the California public regarding driving under the influence (DUI) of alcoholic beverages.
Abstract
The findings describe the public's attitude toward the importance of DUI compared to other important social issues, efforts by police to apprehend and arrest violators, efforts of district attorneys and judges to prosecute, the appropriateness of penalties, and support or opposition for various methods of financing DUI programs. Report findings also describe the public knowledge of apprehension and arrest process, current penalties, and recall of DUI media messages. Further, the report describes the public's practices of alcohol consumption, drinking and driving, and actions to intervene when others engage in DUI. When respondents were asked to name the most important social problems facing people in California today, DUI was volunteered by only 3.6 percent, while most mentioned crime and inflation. In attitudes toward DUI issues and problems, the respondents divided into three distinct groups: (1) a moderate intervention group (40 percent of all respondents), (2) a social independence group (33 percent of all respondents), and (3) a harsh punishment group (27 percent of all respondents). The moderate intervention group had a relatively higher level of confidence in the public's desire and ability to deal with DUI issues. They are more apt to look to themselves and others to manage the problem rather than to the criminal justice system. The social independence group takes a more laissez faire position, and they are below average on most of the social intervention measures. The harsh punishment group seeks a tougher stance from the police, prosecutors, and judges. Tabular data are provided, and the appendixes include two tables showing the demographic and driving characteristics of respondents, a description of the survey method, and a copy of the survey questionnaire.